Questions from the Scripture text: When does the serpent bite (Ecclesiastes 10:11a)? Who else requires great wisdom to negate his harmful effects (verse 11b)? What do the words of a wise man give (Ecclesiastes 10:12a)? What do the lips of a fool do (verse 12b)? How do his words begin (Ecclesiastes 10:13a)? How does his talk end (verse 13b)? What does a fool do with his words (Ecclesiastes 10:14a)? What does a man not know (verse 14b)? What can’t he do with the future (verse 14c)? What does all of the fool’s effort accomplish (Ecclesiastes 10:15a)? What is an example of something obvious that they can’t accomplish (verse 15b)?
What is dangerous, like an angry king? Ecclesiastes 10:11–15 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a talking fool is dangerous, like an angry king.
Sandwiched in between sections detailing the wise man’s response to foolish kingship is this section, warning the wise about the difficulty presented by the fool and his speech. Ecclesiastes 10:11 puts the babbler on the level of the serpent; great skill is needed, and diligence required, to keep him from doing harm. The wise man seeks to always give grace with his words (Ecclesiastes 10:12a, cf. Colossians 4:6). The fool harms not just others but himself—the image in Ecclesiastes 10:12b would be humorous, if it wasn’t so tragic: his lips open wider and wider, until they become his own tomb. He is unaware that his speech is insane from start to finish (Ecclesiastes 10:13), and one big problem is that he never seems to finish (Ecclesiastes 10:14a). He continually speaks of what he doesn’t know—even the future (verse 14b). And this makes him exhausting (Ecclesiastes 10:15a), because he really doesn’t know anything (not even how to get from his own home to the city, verse 15b). Steer clear of fools and their talk!
How careful/intentional are you to steer clear of those who multiply words about foolishly? When might that be you?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for misusing and multiplying words. When we should have been giving grace, we swallowed ourselves up instead. And, forgive us for failing to heed Your warnings about other fools, who multiply harmfully ignorant words, as if they knew so much. Forgive us, and help us, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP15 “Within Your Tent, Who Will Reside” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”
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